A user interface control, such as a button, a tool bar icon, or a dialog box can have an image associated with the control. A user interface developer kit can contain code to display a two-dimensional (“2D”) version on the control. Some modern user interface applications have a three-dimensional (“3D”) feature for an image on a control. The 3D image can have an animation effect giving the image the appearance of a slight jiggling motion. The 3D image can be made up of several separate images, each having properties. Implementation of 3D image effects can require a substantial amount of software coding and image bookkeeping. Bookkeeping can include obtaining a correct resolution and size of each of the several separate images in a 3D image, the z-depth, position information, opacity, and other information of each image in the 3D image. A manufacturer of electronic devices that support 3D image effects may manufacture devices having different display screen sizes and resolutions. Each device may need to implement the 3D image a little differently based upon display and device characteristics. In addition, software developed using 3D images for a device may not be backward-compatible with older devices that can display 2D images but may not be able to implement the 3D images or animation effects.
Currently, each third party software developer that writes a software application for an electronic device of a manufacturer would need to develop her own 3D image support for each device that the manufacturer produces.